Artificial fever apparatus



March 1, 1938.

H. K. HUPPERT 2,109,726

ARTIFICIAL FEVER APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1964 IN VENTOR.

HENRY/702 597 BY 7 I v 3708 A'IZRNEY j.

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIQE ARTIFICIAL FEVERAPPARATUS fornia Application August 20, 1934, Serial No. 740,617

1 Claim.

My invention relates to artificial fever apparatus andmore particularlyto a device adapted to raise localized volumes of living tissue to arelatively high temperature.

'5 Among the objects of my invention are:

To provide an artificial fever apparatus adapted to raise thetemperature of localized volumes of living tissue.

To provide a cabinet for artificial fever appa- '10 ratus havingattached thereto adjustable applicator electrodes.

To provide an artificial fever apparatus with insulated adjustable armscarrying electrodes adapted to be opposed.

To provide an artificial fever apparatus with opposed applicatorelectrodes adapted to be adjusted to include various portions of thebody therebetween, together with means for maintaining said electrodesin adjusted position.

To provide a cabinet housing an artificial fever apparatus havingelectrodes adjustably connected with said cabinet for raising thetemperature of selected portions of the human body, and control meansfor said fever apparatus positioned :25 within reach of the person to betreated.

To provide a semi-portable, compact artificial fever apparatus havingattached applicator electrodes separately adjustable as to position.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent 30 or will bespecifically pointed out in the description forming a part of thisspecification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of theinvention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within thescope of the claim.

For the purposes of this specification, artificial fever apparatus isdefined as apparatus electrical in character adapted to produce highfrequency radio oscillations, preferably below 100 meters in wavelength, and preferably adapted to produce a sufficiently high intensityelectrostatic field between opposed electrodes to raise living tissuepositioned between the electrodes to a temperature higher than normal.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred form of my apparatusshowing the control pane and adjustable applicator arms.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the basel arm hinge.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a rotating arm joint.

Figrue 4 is a greatly simplified diagram showing connections to theapplicator plates.

Recent research has indicated that high body 55 temperatures aredecidedly useful in therapeutic treatment, one of the most importantuses being the destruction of Spirochaeta pallida as body temperaturesapproach 106 F. It has also been found that such temperatures, may beobtained by placing the body in a high frequency alternating currentfield. It is very'important however that thebody temperature be notallowed to go a great deal above 106 F., as certain protein constituentsof the body are thereupon. coagulated, with consequent injury. It-hasbeen further noted that many other human ailments re-.

spond in various degrees to heat uniformly applied throughout bodilyvolumes, arthritis being particularly responsive.

Much of the prior use of artificial fever apparatus has taken the formof almost complete immersion of the body within the active field, thismethod however being subject to a disad- Vantage as, when treating localareas, other areas, normal in every way, are often included. Again,other areas having ailments deleteriously af fected by heating might beincluded, with consequent injury. I have, therefore, designed theapparatus of my invention for treatment of localized body volumes only,and the novel features disclosed and claimed herein are directed towardthe efficient and useful application of the high frequency field to suchlocalized body portions, wherever located.

The broad aspect of my invention may be more readily understood byreference to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

A cabinet I is provided with an inclined control panel 2. The cabinet isadapted to contain a high frequency oscillator, preferably of the vacuumtube type, the controls. of which are mounted on the inclined panel.While there will be some variation in the controls,-I prefer to mount onthe panel a tube filament switch 4 and an anode potential switch 5, bothof which may conveniently be provided with pilot lamps l5. As I alsoprefer to utilize a range of frequenciesl find it desirable to mount aninductance changing control 'lbetween the two switches.

I also provide the panel with a tuning condenser 9 to obtain closefrequency regulation, and a wave meter condenser Ill connected with acircuit not shown, coupled to the oscillator output, and equipped with aresonance lamp ll. All of these controls and their circuital inclusionsare within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. I- measure theoutput power of the device by a high frequency meter l2 inserted at aconvenient point in the oscillating circuit. '1

have found that a wave length range of from 10 to 30 meters issufficient to obtain proper thermal action, and there is some evidenceto show that certain wave lengths may be more effective than others inspecific instances.

In Figure 4 I have diagrammatically shown a preferred circuit forconnecting applicator plates M to the output circuit I5 of theoscillator IS A pair of coupling coils I! are positioned, one'at eachend of the output circuit 15, connected toe,

gether, and each to an applicator plate. In this way I split the highfrequency voltage, both plates being energized to the same potential,

rather than having one plate at ground potential and the other at thehighest potential of the circuit. I thus reduce danger of insulationbreakdown, or of burns through leakage of current into the patient oroperator. The coupling,

of course, between the output circuit and the,

As the high frequency current on the applicator plates is highlydangerous to tissue, particularly when an arc is formed therewith, it isdesirable to completely insulate the plates'and the leads thereto, as itis only the field between the plates that is useful for the purposesdescribed. It is also desirable to be able to adjust and locate theapplicator plates so that any portion of the body may be includedbetween them, opposition being preferably maintained in all positions.

This-I accomplish by attaching the plates to' the cabinet by a pair ofadjustable arms, each of which are substantially alike. A description ofone will therefore apply to both.

Referring to Figure 2, I prefer to provide the side walls IQ of thecabinet with a hinge block 2a of insulating material, preferably hardrubber. This block closes an aperture in the side wall and is fastenedto the wall by wall screwsll. A hinge pivot 22 is fastened to thecenterof the block, held in place by pivot screws 24, and a connectingscrew 25, to which an oscillator lead wire 26 is attached. 1

An arm block 2'! also of hard rubber is journaled on the hinge pivot 22and is provided with an inner conducting face plate 29. This face plateis covered by a flange extension 30 of the arm block, and isprovid'ed'with a beveled edge 3| cooperating with a countersink 32 onthe hinge block. An insulated lock'scfr'ew 34 is threaded into the endof the hinge pivot, and

serves to press the arm block against the hinge block, the bevel edge 3|and the countersink engaging to lock the arm block in any rotativeposition desired. At the same time, a slight release of the lock screwenables the arm block to be freely turned. r v

Projecting from one side of the arm block is an arm receptable 35 boredout to receive an inner arm tube 36, of insulating materialand.

sing- 45. half as long as the flexible tube is slipped over allelplanes. A connection wire 40 connects the metal parts of the two hinges.

Shortly beyond the second hinge I prefer to insert a swivel joint asshown in Figure 3. This joint may be made in any convenient manner, butI prefer to insert a metal connection block 4] in the outer end of theouter arm tube, and connect this block by the wire 40 to the metal partsof the first hinge.

A flexible metal tube 42 is capped with an end block 44 and is'coveredwith a soft rubber coat- A hard rubber tube, preferably about the rubbercoating and provided with an end shoulder 46 adapted to retain aninsulating locking cap 4'l thereon, this cap being internally threadedand screwed into threads 49 on the end of the inner arm tube. The capmay be used to free or lock the joint and allow rotative adjustmerit ofthe flexible tube on the inner arm tube.

- The electrode plates are preferably totallyenclosed in between hardrubber discs 53, and connection made to the flexible tube by-aninsulating boss 5| one on each set of discs. Electrical connection ismade to the plates by an electrode wire 52 connected at one end to theend block 46 through the flexible tube.

' The arms when assembled provide complete position adjustment for theelectrodes, angular positioning of the plates being obtained by use ofthe swivel joint and bending of the flexible tubes. These flexibletubes, however, are sufficiently stiff to maintain the electrodes inposition after being bent.

It will be noted that while electrical connection passes through thehinges and swivel joints by contact, no wires cross the joints. Thus anyrotative adjustments may be made withou danger of wire breakage due totwist.

While it is obvious that the arms may be rotated so that a patient maybe treated on the side of the cabinet opposite the control panel, Iprefer to position the patient on the control side. The reason for thisis that I prefer to allow the patient to control, at least to be able tocontrol, thegamplitude of current.

I have found that many treatments require some length of time and thatmovement within the field may change the field strength by changing theconstants of the applicator circuit. attendant would be necessary unlessthe patient himself be given the controls and told to maintain theoutput at a given amount. Furthermore, I find that if body temperaturesrise above 106 F. the heat sensation becomes practically unbearable, andby allowing thepatient to operoverheating as they themselves will reducethe intensity.

I In operation of the device, the patient is placed in front of thecabinet. loosens the loclL'ng nuts on the applicator arms and positionsthe applicator plates one on each side of the bodily portion to betreated, and preferably in opposed relation. Slight angular adjustmentsmay be made by bending the flexible tubes adjacent the plates. After thearms are adjusted, the nuts are turned to lock them firmly in position,the oscillator energized and treatment started, with the patientpreferably having an arm free for control'of the oscillator output inaccordance with directions. Inasmuch as the applicator plates are fullyinsulated, the

The operator then patients clothing need not be removed, nor need theplates be placed in contact with the patient, although close approach isdesirable in order to maintain a high field intensity with minimum powerinput.

I claim:

In combination with a cabinet containing a source of high frequencyalternating current and an exterior completely insulated applicatorplate, means for movably connecting said source with said platecomprising an insulating block closing an aperture in said cabinet andhaving an.

outer circular recess having a beveled edge, a central conductingbearing pivot, a portion of said pivot extending along the bottom ofsaid recess, an insulating block having a central aperture fitting saidpivot and longer than said pivot, a loose circular contact plate havinga central aperture fitting said pivot and having a peripheral bevelededge fitting the beveled edge of said block and contacting that portionof the pivot extending along the bottom of said recess, an insulatingtubular arm attached to said block, a conductor in said arm andterminally attached to said loose contact plate, and means for forcingsaid block against said plate to engage said beveled edges and therebylock the hinge formed and provide electrical connection through thehinge.

' HENRY K, HUPPERT.

